Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support

Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance is money to help you pay your rent. If you have a low income you may be able to claim Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance.

Council Tax Support is money to help you pay your council tax.

How do I claim? If you want to claim benefit or support you can download a form, or you can telephone us 01642 774 774 and we will send you form. To download a form please scroll to the bottom of the page.

benefits calculator You can use this calculator to get an estimate as to whether you may qualify for some assistance

Important- Housing Benefit changes effective from 1 July 2013

Welfare Reform - Benefit Cap The government introduced a limit to the total amount of benefits that couples, lone parents and single people receive, based on an average income of a working household. This means that the maximum weekly benefit will be capped at £350 for a childless single household, and £500 for a couple or a lone parent.

The Benefit Cap will be introduced in the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland by the end of September 2013.

The benefit cap will not apply to the following residents:

Single people or couples who are of pension age

Households where one or more members receive Working Tax Credit

Households where at least one member receives Disability Living Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Industrial Injuries Benefits or Employment and Support Allowance, if paid with the support component

Households where one member receives War Widow's or War Widower's Pension

What benefits count towards the cap? The cap will apply to the total income a household receives from:

Housing Benefit

Income Support

Job Seekers Allowance

Child Tax Credit

Child Benefit

Bereavement Allowance

Carers Allowance

Employment and Support Allowance (except where paid with support) component

Guardians Allowance

Incapacity Benefit

Maternity Allowance

Severe Disablement Allowance

Widowed Parents / Mothers Allowance

Widows Pension

How will the cap be applied? If you get more benefits than the maximum entitlement, then the cap will be applied through deductions from Housing Benefit payments. This means that you will need to make up the shortfall in the rent yourself.

How much will I lose? Find out how the benefit cap will affect you personally by using the benefit cap calculator. Visit Benefit cap calculator

Where can I get more information? You can contact the Government's Benefit Cap helpline number on 0845 605 7064.

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